


A Moment to Breathe

by MJThatch



Category: gen:LOCK (Web Series)
Genre: Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Muslim Character, My First AO3 Post, Nonbinary Character, Other, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-15 18:08:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18674806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJThatch/pseuds/MJThatch
Summary: Following the briefing with Marc Holcroft, Yaz and the rest of the team decide to get some rest. After taking some time to grieve alone over the recent events, Yaz gets a visit from Valentina and the two pilots bond over the hardships of their recently revealed pasts.





	A Moment to Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Archivers! This is my first ever Fanfic on Ao3 so any feedback and critiques are more than welcome. That being said please keep the critiques constrictive and respectful. I hope you enjoy my work!

Yasamin Madrani let out a heavy sigh as the hologram of Mark Holcroft deactivated, leaving the Gen:lock team alone with Dr. Jha. 

“I’ve had doctor Wu arrange quarters for you all” Jha said, a warm smile on her face, “I imagine you are all exhausted and could use some time to rest” “and eat, I’m bloody famished!” Cammie said clutching at her stomach as it growled in agreement. Jha chuckled “I’ll have the cooks brew something up for you all, in the meantime go rest, I’d say you’ve earned it.”  
The idea of food, rest, and hopefully, a shower sounded heavenly to Ya at that moment. Having spent the last twenty four hours living off of survival rations and covered in sweat and grime from battle, she was ready to regain some bit of her former self. The whole team(minus Chase) looked like they were all in the same boat “thank you for everything” she nodded to Dr, Jha “you’ve been most gracious with us, despite us coming without warning” Jha shook her head “anything for Rufus’s recruits, also don’t worry about your Holons, Dr.Wu and I will take good care of them while you rest, after that we start working on those modifications Ms, Maccloud talked about” Cammie gave a double thumbs up “I’ll get those files sent over to ya just as soon as I’ve stuffed me face full” Jha let out another adoring chuckle “then I won’t keep you all, rest well!”  
With that the team left the conference room and made their way towards their quarters. They were surprised to find that they each had their own rooms unlike the bunk arrangement they’d had at the Anvil.

Yas’s room was about the size of a small studio apartment, the walls and floor were the same sterile, white color as the rest of the facility, with a single rectangular window that looked out over the vast desert landscape. A small kitchenette was nestled against the far wall with a small bowl of fruit on the counter. Yasamin debated grabbing some of the fruit and collapsing onto the bed under the window but then spied the bathroom by the door and opted to clean herself first.  
As she entered she peeled off her jacket, which smelled like it could use a wash of its own, Yaz made a mental note to try and find a washing machine later. After that she began un-fastening her armor, which took some time due to all the sweat, and eventually made into the shower.

The feeling of hot water on her weary skin was so overwhelming that Yaz sunk to the floor of the shower. All of the barriers she had built up over the last couple days crumbled. Dr.Weller was dead, the man that been like a second father to her had sacrificed himself in order to buy the team enough time escape the anvil. Another parent lost to the damned Union. Her tears of frustration mixed with the shower water as she allowed herself to have this small moment of vulnerability, here where no one could see this side of her.

After a few more moments of crying, Yaz pulled herself up off the floor and cleaned herself with the soap and shampoo that she found. Wrapping herself in a towel she walked back into the main room in search of some fresh clothes to wear. She noticed a tray of food on the small dining table that had not been there when she had first entered the room. Its contents consisted of rice and curry as the main dish, a slice of toast, an orange and a large bottle of water. Someone must have brought in while she was showering, she felt a brief feeling of embarrassment when she realized whoever it was might have heard her crying. She shook that feeling off as quick as it have started, so what if they heard her crying, she wasn’t going to feel bad for dealing with her frustrations in her own way.

Yaz continued on her mission to find some new clothes, she found what she was looking for in the drawers next to the bed. They looked almost identical to the sleeping fatigues they had had at the Anvil expect these were sterile white and light gray, unlike the darker colored ones of the Vanguard.  
There was a beep that came from the door, someone signaling to come in “one moment please!” she called as she quickly pulled off the towel and threw on the soft clothes. Once they were on comfortably she turned to the door “come in” The door hissed open revealing Valentina, clad in the same white fatigues as Yaz. “Mind if I come in?” they asked casually, leaning against the threshold “of course not, please, make yourself at home” Yaz gestured to the table where the tray was resting.  
The two teammates sat down across from each other “have you eaten yet?” Yaz asked Valentina “Da” they nodded “but I wouldn’t mind splitting that orange with you if that’s alright” Yaz happily offered the fruit to her friend, who happily took from her hand. Valentina then pulled one of their knives out from underneath their clothes and began using it to peel the skin off the orange.

“Thank you” Yaz said softly, “for supporting me back there, with Holcroft” Valentina nodded, placing an orange slice on the flat of their blade and offering it to Yaz “ I’ll be honest, If I had heard that story back when we first met I would have taken you to be no different than any other Union fanatic” Yaz gently plucked the slice off the blade “But I know you better than that, you’re a good person, you care for those around you” they chuckled “you basically made yourself the team mother hen once we all got settled” Yaz blushed at Valentina’s choice of words, she had thought she acted not much different from any other training officer, but she knew that Valentina was right, she had taken a more maternal approach to interacting with the other pilots. 

“What I’m saying is, I know you’re not like the rest of the union, you wouldn’t willingly condemn someone you care about just because some politician or officer told you to” Valentina’s eyes hardened slightly. “Is that what happened to you?” Yaz asked gently, she waited patiently as Valentina nodded her head and drew in a slow breath. “It was about a year after I joined Stealth Ops, I came out to a couple of my comrades one night after we had gone clubbing, they seemed fine with it at first but a couple days later they came into the barracks with our CO and a couple MP’s” the hand that was clutching the knife began to tighten as an uncharacteristic sneer began to form on Valentina’s face. “My CO told me that the Russian army had not place for my kind and that I was being sent to military detention facility where I would remain until further notice.” Yaz gently laid her hand on top of Valentina’s, which seemed to relax the purple haired sniper. “Once the truck was far enough away from camp, I attacked the guards; got free of the truck and made my way on foot to the Ukrainian border, joined the resistance forces a few days later.” 

Yaz rubbed her thumb against Valentina’s knuckles, her eyes never leaving the snipers. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but I guess if you look on the Brightside if you hadn’t the joined the resistance the Polity would never have found you.” Valentina’s face smoothed into a small smile “that’s true I suppose, and then I never would have met all of you, and you are much better comrades then those bastards ever were.” Yaz grinned mischievously “even Kazu?” Valentina mirrored her grin, tilting her head forward slightly “Yes, even Kazu” the two of them broke into a fit of laughter, it felt good to laugh after everything that had transpired the last couple of days. Eventually the laughter died down and the two Gen:lock caught themselves staring at each other, an awkward silence filled the space between them, luckily Valentina broke it before it went too long. 

“you know I think a shower sounds great right about now” They rose from their seat “thanks for the orange.” They walked over to the door and pushed the button to open it “Valentina!” Yaz called over to the Russian who turned and looked back her “Thanks for sharing that with me” Valentina smirked “maybe in the future we can share a bit more than stories eh?” they flashed Yaz a quick wink as they left the room. 

 

Yasamin felt the blush return to her cheeks ‘maybe’ she thought as she dove into her food.


End file.
